Week Twenty

Clinging to the last playoff spot and riding a tough 4 week losing streak, I started week 20 against another divisional rival in a hole. My opponent had 9 starts and I only had 4. So right from the beginning, I was abandoning all hope in Win and K's. I set my sights on ERA, WHIP, BAA and Saves. Unfortunately, my best chance at winning the latter was starting Bob Wickman, which didn't exactly help my chances at the other three. I also benched Bonderman and put Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol in his place.

Inexplicably, I somehow won Wins 4-2. And that was with Wickman blowing a save for my starter (Smoltz). I got crushed in BAA and my WHIP of 1.25 was not getting it done. Ironically, it was my relievers that did the WHIP damage, led by Wickman (3.00) - who seems to be getting fatter and older by the second - F. Cordero (2.40) and Benoit (1.50). My ERA for the week was a sparkling 1.70, which got me that category. In Saves, the last category I was targeting, I accumlated 1. 1 save. Just 1 fucking save. My opponent's 3 closers got 8, including 3 from Bad Hennessey. Because if there's a consistent source of quality relief outings in MLB, it's definitely Brad Hennessey.

So in conclusion, I tried to win ERA, WHIP, BAA and Saves and I only won WHIP. I gave up on Wins and K's and somehow won Wins.

Onto the offense, where a couple of last minute decisions made all the difference. I benched Furcal for hot hitting Felipe Lopez and chose to stick with Sheffield over the simply hot Raul Ibanez. In a nutshell, these decisions were bad, and by "made all the difference," I mean "cost me OPS and HRs."

To say that Felipe Lopez was bad, would be like saying that Derek Jeter is overpaid, Christina Aguilera is hot and the 4 inch hair growing out of my wrist is weird. It would be a gargantuan understatement.
Lopez: 3-25, .305 OPS, No Runs, No RBI - This was coming off a week in which he had 7 of each.

It's not like Furcal tore the cover off the ball, but his .646 OPS was more than double that of the feeble Lopez.

To replace the struggling and now injured Hafner, I chose Sheffield (who I'd benched because of his shoulder) over Ibanez, who'd homered 5 times last week.
Good call?
No.
Sheffield: 5-28, .472 OPS, 1 RBI, 4 Runs
Ibanez: 9-21, 1.282 OPS, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 Runs

The problem here is that I lost HR by 2, and OPS by .017. Both of which would be easily trumped by Ibanez, had he not been resting comfortably on my bench. And instead of losing 7-5, I would have won 6-5-1. Sort of a big deal.

Every decision I make lately seems to be the wrong one.

Of course, the real drama of my week took place during the Sunday night ESPN game. I went into this game trailing in OPS by .017. I had Theriot playing and my opponent had DeRosa (who had already had a 5-5 game earlier in the week). Theriot walked in his first at bat and Derosa grounded out. This put my OPS just barely ahead, and temporarily tied us up at 6-6. Then what happened? It started raining of course, and the game was eventually postponed, negating the stats. So I lost OPS, and the week. Appreciated that Mother Nature.

My team has been experiencing a severe power outage lately. The last 4 weeks (all losses) my team has hit 5-9-9-5 home runs. That's just not getting it done. Of course, it's no mystery why this is happening. Sheffield's shoulder is barking (not trading him for Manny two months ago now looks like a serious mistake, but how can you predict injury? And to give up all those steals is crazy.) and my boy Travis Hafner is still hitting like a little girl.

I compared how it feels to have one of my favorite players and the first pick on all 3 of my fantasy teams playing this poorly to watching my own child suffer through luekemia. (for the record, I don't have any kids - this should not come as a surprise). I'm at the point where if I see that he went 1-4 with a run, I'm almost satisfied. What the fuck is that? He's Travis fucking Hafner.

Looking Ahead

Next week, with Hafner now playing again, he's going back in. If I'm going to lose my playoff spot, it will be with him in my lineup and my heart. Sheffield is out, Ibanez is in. Felipe Lopez will never again be on any of my teams for even a second. Furcal is back in. I've also had it with Piazza, and I'm going with Yorvit Torrealba, who has 7 games at home and an 800+ OPS in Colorado.

For pitching, I'm benching the piece of trash known as Bob Wickman, and punting Saves (unless Cordero has a huge week and I get lucky). I have two starts out of Escobar, one from Smoltz and one from James Shields. I either start Joe Blanton on the road (5 + ERA) twice, or Wandy Rodriguez at home (1.65 ERA) twice. Wandy is facing the Nationals and the Pirates and dominates in Houston, so I'm leaning that way.

I need to end what is now a 5 week losing streak. I've only won once since the All-Star Break. It ends now. This is the week I re-establish my team. I'm expecting a big week out of Teixeira (4 games in Cincy) and Bay (4 in Colorado, 3 in Houston). This is my week.